The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has indicated that the no-handshake practice between Indian and Pakistani players is likely to remain in place due to the current geopolitical climate. The issue resurfaced during the Asia Cup 2025, where Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha. Despite facing each other three times during the competition, both teams completely avoided the traditional post-match gesture. This pattern continued in other tournaments as well.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s team adopted the same approach during the Women’s ODI World Cup, and India A captain Jitesh Sharma also refrained from shaking hands with his Pakistani counterpart in the Asia Cup Rising Stars meet. When questioned about whether there would be any change in this stance, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia responded clearly, saying, “I am not an astrologer. I cannot predict anything. Everything is dependent on the geopolitical situation. The situation is not very conducive till now. Tomorrow I do not know.”
Asia Cup Trophy Dispute Adds To The Strain
Saikia also addressed the unresolved issue regarding the Asia Cup trophy. After winning the tournament, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side declined to accept the trophy from PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, and to date, the Indian team has not received it.
Calling the situation regrettable, Saikia said, “This is an unfortunate situation which has been going on since the final of the Asia Cup recently in Dubai. We hope the trophy will come back to India as soon as possible. In the ICC meeting, I personally met the ACC president on the sidelines of the board meeting.” He emphasised that continuous discussions have been taking place to reach a solution and that the matter remains a priority for the board.
Positive Signs In Ongoing Discussions
Despite the existing complications, Devajit Saikia expressed hope based on recent conversations held during the ICC meeting. He mentioned that although the ICC chairman did not participate in the main meeting, the discussions that followed afterwards were constructive.
Reflecting on these interactions, he added, “We had several meetings, and in that meeting, the ICC chairman was also present. But not in the main meeting. When the meeting was over, we met at the same venue, and there were some positive discussions, positive signs, and very soon, we hope that a solution will come out to close this chapter.” For now, the no-handshake policy and the trophy standoff remain symbolic of the larger political friction impacting cricketing ties between India and Pakistan.
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